Comeback Heir
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: In Konoha, there is a Council meeting of the Heads of all of her Clans. Every Clan Head MUST attend if they wish to keep their land. But neither of the two Uchiha are in Konoha... Mentions of KisaIta


**Comeback Heir**

 **Summary: In Konoha, there is a Council meeting of the Heads of all of her Clans. Every Clan Head MUST attend if they wish to keep their land. But neither of the two Uchiha are in Konoha...**

"What have you called us for, Tsunade-sama?" Hatake Kakashi half lazily, half respectfully inquired of the Godaime Hokage as he and his two students, his former ANBU college and their newest team member, Sai, stood in front of the busty blond woman with hazel eyes and enormous strength. The three teens looked rather interested for the reason of their summons. It was to be expected, though, since this was supposed to be their day off. Instead, they had each been visited by the ANBU early this morning, the masked black ops informing them that they are to attend a meeting with the Hokage in an hour. Now they stood before her and even Naruto was reluctant to go for his usual mischief, seeing as the woman's expression was stormy enough to belong to the skies above Amegakure.

"I know it is your day off, but I thought you four would be the best for this, well, mission I suppose." Senju Tsunade, the best medical ninja to this date, said gravely as she leaned against her desk, fingers intertwined in front of her mouth, eyes serious and sober, a great rarety. "I hadn't wanted to tell you this when Naruto first returned and you lot started looking for Sasuke again, as that would have only put pressure on you and made you sloppy on the field, but the time is nearing and you deserve to know."

"What time is nearing, Shishou? Know what?" The confused Sakura questioned with a worried frown. "I thought we'd have another few months to find Sasuke-kun."

"You have until the end of this week, I'm afraid." The Hokage said with a sigh, sounding tired and resigned. "I had forgotten about it myself but a rather gleeful and smug Danzo had payed me a visit yesterday. He said that soon enough, it wouldn't matter if we manage to find, save and convince Sasuke to come back, the Uchiha Clan will officially stop being part of Konoha."

"What?" The perplexed and horrified members of the original Team 7 exclaimed, shocked to hear such news. "But how?"

"The Uchiha Clan is in the very foundation of Konoha," Yamato spoke up for the first time, a suspicious frown on his face. As a former member of ROOT, practically _raised_ by Danzo, Yamato just _knew_ the old man was up to something. He wouldn't have come to the Hokage with such information so freely just to give a friendly reminder. The man was plotting something and if he had been confident enough that whatever his plan was is set enough for him to tell Tsunade anything, then they will have to act swiftly and carefully. "They, along with your great uncle and grandfather, built this very village and were named its protectors."

"How do you know that?" Tsunade asked curiously as Shizune handed her a file that she was about to read to them, writing about just _that_ fact. It was her last resort if this team's mission failed. They _cannot_ let the Uchiha name get detached from the village. The very mention of that clan kept most of their more dangerous enemies at bay.

The brunet man shrugged with an ironic smile. "Once upon a time, I was on a team with what you might call a history geek."

"If he wasn't such a good fighter and so handsome, he'd be a geek in everything." Kakashi said with a derisive snort, but Tsunade could detect some fondness and a lot of anger and sadness underlining his words. It didn't take a genius to figure out who they were talking about so she prowled on to the matter at hand, not letting either of them to dwell on the past. It was over and done with. They cannot change it. But the future in front of them will need _them_ and their three teammates to ensure it to be a bright one for Sasuke if he were ever to return to Konoha.

"Anyway, what is endangering the Uchiha Clan's, and thus Sasuke's, place in Konoha is the meeting that is going to happen in exactly six days." Tsunade explained carefully so they all understood her. She saw a flash of realization on Kakashi's face and knew he at least understood. And would be showing up. "It requires the Head of each and every Clan in Konoha to attend, since it happens every ten years. Usually, such meetings are about territory, politics, development, protection, injustices done to some clan etc, etc. But the point is, should the rightful Head of some Clan not come to this meeting, that clan looses all it holds in Konoha: its land, status, recognition, the very right to _live_ in the village. The last time something like this happened, when the leader of the Jukiwibai Clan ( **A/N: completely made up** ) couldn't come due to a deadly fever - which he later didn't even survive - his Clan was instantly erased from Konoha's list of Clans and they were hunted out of the village by midnight next night. Anyone who refused to leave Konoha's territories was, unfortunately, murdered in cold blood on sight. Sarutobi-sensei didn't much appreciate or approve of this tradition, but it had been around for as long as Konoha existed. Even his teachers, Senju Hashirama the Shodaime Hokage and Senju Tobirama the Nidaime Hokage, followed this tradition, suggested to them by the council of their time."

"But what does this mean for Sasuke?" Naruto asked with worry and panic written all over his whiskered face and Tsunade sighed, wishing she didn't have to say this to Naruto of all people. Sakura would eventually learn to cope but Naruto will never accept this. If he were to accept it, it would break him like nothing else could.

"It means that you have to drag Sasuke, kicking and screaming if you must, back to Konoha for the meeting in six days if you want to ever have a chance of him living in Konoha again." She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, sounding tired. "He will be free to walk away later, if he so chooses. I won't accept any complaints on that matter, either from you," she sent Sakura and Naruto firm glares, even glancing one at Kakashi, just to be safe that they know how serious she was about this. "Or from the Advisors. Or anyone. Right now, the priority isn't getting Sasuke back, it's getting him to attend that meeting so the Uchiha Clan stays within Konoha. We can't let the Uchiha Compound fall into Danzo's hands. He's been obsessing with the Uchihas his whole life. No doubt he will claim it for himself if he gets the chance."

"What do you mean, 'he's been obsessing' with them?" The silver haired man asked with a frown, not liking the sounds of that. A heavy sensation appeared in his gut but he had no idea what it meant.

"Danzo was on the Nidaime's team with Uchiha Kagami, one of the rare few Uchiha to act outside of their clan. I was young back then, but I still remember overhearing him and grandfather talking, my uncle insisting that Danzo had an unhealthy fixation on the Uchiha. He hates them, but he wants their power." She explained, recalling those spied on conversations as though they had happened yesterday. Until the moment Danzo had informed her about the meeting, Tsunade had never thought much of those talks. They had all come back crashing to her in an instant and she _knew_ that she had to make sure the Uchiha stayed with Konoha, or else they will be free game for Danzo to hunt. Not to mention that it had been her grandfather's wish for the Uchiha to be treated fairly and as a treasure, a honor for the family of his dearest friend. That, and Uchiha Madara had been proclaimed the first protector of Konohagakure, the man who had named this very village. His descendants had a right to call this place home. Danzo was threatening that. "If I hadn't known any better, I would even say he was behind the Uchiha Massacre, eight years ago."

"Tsunade-sama!" The scandalized Shizune exclaimed, paling at such an accusation stated so offhandedly.

"I honestly wouldn't put it past him, had that case not been solved." Kakashi stated, voice turning suddenly so cold that he would freeze Sunagakure over.

"But let's not get into that. The point of this meeting, and the mission I am giving your team, is that you must bring Sasuke back. Konoha must _never_ lose the Uchiha. Despite Sasuke still being a missing nin and Itachi being the mass murderer and Akatsuki member that he is, those two carry some of the oldest blood in ninja history and their roots are right here." The Godaime said in a grave voice. "Hatake Kakashi, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Sai and Yamato." They each stood to attention as she spoke their names, knowing what is to follow. "I am assigning this very important mission to you. Failure is not an option this time."

"We understand, Tsunade-sama." The oldest in the team said, meeting Tsunade's honey eyes with his one black. "However, the search alone could last far longer than the deadline you have given us."

"Which is why it's a good thing I will be going with you." A voice behind them said as the doors to the Honage's office opened. Naruto spun around happily, opal blue eyes taking in the familiar sight of an old frog sage pervert.

"Ero-sennin!" The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki exclaimed happily, having not seen his own Shishou for quite a while. They had both been undeniably and undoubtedly busy. So much has happened since Naruto had last seen the man, starting with Gaara's kidnapping by the Akatsuki and ending with that whole fiasco with the pseudo Jinchuuriki, Sora, who was now a great friend of his. And only Kami knows where Jiraiya had been.

"Yo. It's been a while." Said man greeted with a casual wave and a smile. "I hear you need my assistance."

"Don't try to act cool, Jiraiya," Taunade grumblingly snapped, a glare on her face and the other sobered up instantly, remembering just how grave the situation really was. "You came to me with the information on Orochimaru's latest hideout."

"You know where Sasuke-kun is?" Sakura asked hopefully, exchanging a quick glance with Naruto. Sai just watched from the side, studying all of their interactions and trying to understand them.

"Yes, actually." The hermit said with all the seriousness that he could manage, which was actually a lot more than one would give him credit for. "They'd just settled in in a base just outside of Konoha's borders, up north. It'll take us two days to reach it, but we should at least make it in time for the meeting."

"Than what are we waiting for, dattebayo!?" The anxious, excited and thrilled Naruto asked, grabbing Sai and Kakashi by their arms and marching over towards the white haired man. "Let's go! We have a teme to convince!"

Tsunade watched them go fondly, but she still secretly worried. She, like Yamato, had realized that there was something suspicious going on around here. Danzo wouldn't have given her a heads up for the meeting unless he was planning something. Something big. Something important. If he didn't know for sure that he will gain something either way, he wouldn't have reminded her of Sasuke's duty to attend the meeting if he wished to keep his family grounds, something they were sure he would want. That man was plotting something and Tsunade feared she had just invited Sasuke into his trap.

But it didn't make sense to her. What would Danzo get by Sasuke returning here? Maybe there were some documents he'd want to get from the Uchiha Compound? Only Sasuke would be able to get them, since the place had a seal on it that made it so only an Uchiha could enter the Compound if there were no other Uchiha present. Had Itachi not left Sasuke alive, their ANBU would have never been able to go in and investigate. And the younger brother hadn't returned to his ancestral home since the massacre, so if there _was_ a document Danzo would want, he would have had no chance to get it.

But that still didn't make a whole lot of sense. Risking a missing ninja's return to their village just for a few - valuable as they might be - papers? Not Danzo's style. Something else was going on here and Tsunade prayed she will find out before it's too late.

00000

Finding Sasuke had turned out to be all too easy. Even bringing him back hadn't been that hard, after Kakashi calmly explained the rules of these once-in-a-decade meetings. Tsunade had been right. The boy _would_ want to keep his ancestral home, even if he were never to step foot in there ever again. It was his, the last link to his dead family and he was going to protect it no matter what. The Uchiha came willingly but promised them he _will_ cut his way out if they tried to stop him from going back to Orochimaru once the meeting was over. They made it back in time, on the night before the meeting was to take place, and Sasuke had been perfectly respectful when he had a short meeting with her as she explained the basics of the meeting with Kakashi's help, who will also be attending in the name of his own small, almost extinct clan. Sasuke had understood everything, went out to rent a decent kimono and went to Naruto's to sleep the night. All in all, that part had gone better than planned, if Tsunade was honest with herself.

But what followed when the Council of the Clan Heads meeting was about to start made her severely regret never finding out what Danzo's angle was.

Shimura Danzo was one of the three people on the Council of Advisors, who overlooked everything that the Hokage did. Even if Tsunade wasn't technically the Head of the Senju Clan, she would have still attended the meeting, so the Advisors were attending it, too. Which meant Danzo, Koharu and Homura were also present with the other Clan heads in front of the big Council room, used explicitly for these meetings, when Team Kakashi escorted Sasuke and by extension Kakashi to the meeting. The grim smirk on Danzo's face set off alarm bells in Tsunade's head as soon as she saw it, but she couldn't react fast enough before Sasuke found himself brought down to the ground by four ANBU.

"What is the meaning of this!?" She demanded when she saw them taking out a seal blindfold that will prevent Sasuke from not only using his Sharingan, but his chakra altogether. He will be left at the mercy, or lack of, of the ANBU and Danzo. "Is this how you treat one of Konoha's Clan Heads? Release him immediately!"

"There is no need for you to yell, Tsunade." Koharu admonished with a firm glare, ignoring Sasuke's cursing and threats as he was bound. The other people gathered all just exchanged confused and uncertain glances, unsure of what was going on and what they should do, if anything at all. "They are simply doing their job, capturing, restraining and securing a traitor."

"Dangerous rogue ninjas like him need to be dealt with on sight." Homura added, as if reminding Tsunade of her job. He was. "As Hokage, you should know this."

Tsunade grit her teeth, clenching her fists until they trembled and glaring the three Advisors down. "He has been invited and permitted a temporary stay in Konoha for the sake of this meeting. I will not have you disrespecting the Head of the Uchiha Clan like this."

Danzo tutted at her as though she were a child, going as far as to shake his head as he walked over with firm steps despite the need to use a cane. "Tsunade, Tsunade, Tsunade." He said in an almost scolding manner and when he opened his pale brown eye, Tsunade froze, realizing all too late that she - and by extension Sasuke - had played right into his hands. He had planned this. She didn't know yet how, but she was sure as hell going to find out. Immediately.

"What have you done, Danzo?"

The old man just regarded her with an impassive expression but his voice held mock disappointment. "I have done nothing, Tsunade- _sama_." It was subtle but Tsunade, Kakashi and Yamato definitely detected disdain and mockery in his voice. "Just my job of protecting the village. It is _you_ who had done something, something _wrong_."

"You are attacking the Head of the Uchiha Cla-"

"What Uchiha Clan?" Danzo interrupted rudely, letting out a derisive snort. "What Clan Head? To be the Head of a Clan, you must first and foremost be of legal age, meaning eighteen. Uchiha Sasuke, the last time _I_ checked, was only sixteen." Realization dawned on Tsunade. So this was his angle. He wins. He takes care of two birds with one stone. He gets Sasuke, killed or arrested, it won't matter, he'll be out of his way for good. _And_ he will get rid of the Uchiha. By _fucking technicalities_! "Second, you must be the acknowledged Heir of the Clan before you can take in the calling of the Head of the Clan. All Uchiha Sasuke is, in all actuality, is an ordinary brat, born second, underage and a missing ninja by his own free will. He is to be arrested, not respected." Danzo let out a dramatic, disappointed sounding sigh. "I guess this is the end of the Uchiha Clan." He said, looking at the clock over the door to the Council room, the time telling device showing that the meeting is to start in a minute. "Oh well. We better get in before we, too, lose our positions."

"What should we do with the Uchiha?" Inuzuka Tsumi, the Head of the Inuzuka Clan and Kiba's mother, asked, glancing at her son's once classmate.

"Bring him in." Danzo said as the guards slowly unlocked the doors to the meeting room. "He will be the first topic we discuss. His fate and punishment must be determined." He said as he moved to walk through the opening doors of the Council chamber.

"The only punishment that must be determined, Shimura Danzo," a cool, dark, deep, velvety voice echoed from the chamber and everyone stiffened, feeling as though they have been struck by lighting. Three times. They could hardly believe either their eyes or their ears. It was just too impossible. "Is the punishment of showing such disrespect to the rightful _Heir_ of the Uchiha Clan in front of its Head." The owner of the voice sounded displeased as he tsked at them. "The rightful retributions for such actions could cost you your life, Danzo."

" _You_!" Danzo hissed, three of the ANBU immediately coming to stand between him and the man comfortably sitting in the chamber, calmly watching the other Clan Heads with disinterest, his eyes flashing whenever he looked at Danzo or at the restrained Sasuke. "What are _you_ doing here?" And wasn't that just the million dollar question?

Full, alluring, pale lips twisted upwards into a smirk that one doesn't usually see on that handsome face. A fine black eyebrow arched as cool, black eyes regarded them all with a little bit of disdain, no doubt because of the treatment of the younger Uchiha. A pale hand with long fingers lazily but oh so elegantly pushed silky, ash colored bangs out of the way, further drawing attention to the depthless eyes. "I hope you are not shocked to see me, Danzo." Uchiha Itachi said casually, his red Akatsuki ring glinting in the candle light. "I am, after all, the _Head of the Uchiha Clan_."

"You are _nothing_ ," the old man growled, signaling for the ANBU to attack but Itachi just brought up a hand to stop them.

"In this room, all physical conflict is forbidden. Anyone who starts it or _orders_ it," he looked pointedly at the whithered old man with a strangely smug air about him, something you don't usually see on Itachi. But he looked now like that cat that got the canary and he wasn't even trying to hide it, knowing it was pissing Danzo off. "Is forever banned not only from these meetings but from the village itself."

The reminder had the ANBU falling back and Danzo growling like a caged animal. The faint smirk was still on the elder Uchiha's lips and he seemed to be waiting for them to either get over their shock or make their next move.

"You have no right to be here." Koharu finally snapped, glaring at the Uchiha prodigy. Sasuke was still a bit stunned by everything that was happening. How was Itachi here? _Why_ was he here? Sasuke had assumed he didn't care for their Clan, what with killing them and all. "Criminals are to be dealt with like criminals. You are not to walk freely around, as if you own the place!"

Itachi let his eyes settle on the old woman, and despite his eyes still being black and not the red of the Sharingan, she still flinched when he looked at her. "You of all people _know_ how I came to be a criminal, Koharu." The woman grew pale when everyone looked at her. They thought it was a threat to kill her, like he had massacred his family. How wrong they were. "For your own safety in this village, I would suggest that you stay quiet while I deal with your so called leader."

"Threats of bodily harm are also forbidden in this room." Asuma hissed, glaring at the elder Uchiha. He was now the oldest member of the Sarutobi Clan so he represented it at the meeting. He didn't know the reason behind Itachi's presence here, either. The genius in question regarded him with cool aloofness, so unlike the boy Asuma remembered trailing after Kakashi in an ANBU uniform and mask.

"I think you will find that I know these rules better than even you; benefits of a photographic memory, Sharingan or no Sharingan." The Uchiha replied before his eyes once again settled on Danzo. "You will find that threats of a different kind are far more affective." His eyes Sasuke before his expression turned cold enough to freeze even _Amaterasu_. "Isn't that right, Danzo?"

"You are threading on _thin_ ground, Uchiha scum." The old man hissed at the man, also casting a glance Sasuke's way, as if conveying a silent threat. "Be careful how you speak and act in front of your betters."

Itachi tilted his head up a bit, lifting his chin and sneering down his nose at the Advisor. "When _you_ are acknowledged as the greatest threat in an organization full of overpowered S-ranked criminals, when _you_ can defeat over two hundred jonin and chuunin level ninja in a single night, when _you_ can fight a Kage and when _you_ can become an ANBUa t the age eleven, you can call yourself my 'better'." He stated very calmly but with a cold rage underlining his words. "And the ground I thread on his just become steel, not ice."

"What are you really here for, Itachi?" Kakashi questioned carefully, lifting his hitai-ate off of his Sharingan eye so he can better observe the Akatsuki. Itachi was too fast for even the Sharingan but he had a better chance to see him make his move if he had it open. "Is it the Kyuubi? We won't let you have Naruto." He declared with determination, earning himself the cold stare.

"If I had _really_ wanted to take Naruto-kun away, even three years ago, he would have been in the Akatsuki's hands long ago. And I am not here to antagonize my little brother, either, but the reason for my appearance _does_ have something to partially have to do with Sasuke."

"What's it got to do with me?" The perplexed younger Uchiha asked from where he was still being restrained by the ANBU that had remained to keep a hold of him. His old teammates and Tsunade couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at how calm he was being despite the presence of his brother, the very man he had sworn vengeance against. If Kakashi had to guess as to why he was so calm and, well, _pleasant_ , he would say it was the manner in which Itachi spoke. There was a different _edge_ to his voice than the one you would usually detect. Itachi's face was impassive but his tone of voice suggested he was frowning in displeasure or maybe even glaring.

"They are trying to disinherit us of our ancestral home, Sasuke, and what kind of older brother would I be if I allowed them to take away the only home my precious little brother had?"

"It's funny that someone like you can talk so casually of familial bonds," Nara Shikaku said disdainfully, but Itachi was now ignoring everyone but Danzo, the Hokage and his younger brother.

"It takes a higher power than you, Danzo, to chase away the Uchiha from Konohagakure." The elder brother said conversationally, earning himself a glare from the man wearing bandages on his right arm and over his right eye.

"Yes, it takes a psychopathic murderer to get rid of the scum of the earth like them."

The black eyes suddenly bled red, the tension in the chamber getting impossibly thicker. It was actually getting hard to breathe with how tense everyone was and there were the first undercurrents of a killing intent, usually absent, making its appearance, spreading from Itachi onwards. "You will _not_ call them that," the words were still calm but were on the verge of a growl. Not many would notice the change, but Yamato did, Sasuke did, Kakashi did and Danzo certainly did. "The Uchiha Clan were noble warriors and protectors of this village for decades. You will show them _respect_."

"Oh, I knew what kind of people they were," Danzo snapped but instantly regretted it as he realized what he had just implied, the opening this gave to Itachi. But he wanted his brother to get his revenge and be hailed a hero, not to follow in his Clan's footsteps. Yet the look in Itachi's eyes ...

"Yes, I guess you _did_. It _was_ you who kept antagonizing them for the last eight years of the Clan." The elder Uchiha replied in a drawl, casually leaning back in his cushion, making the others, for the first time, notice just how he was dressed. The kimono he wore was far more elegant than anything the others were wearing (a gift from Pein and Konan for the last mission he and Kisame had completed), red as blood with the moon carefully, hand-sewed on the left side with an onyx black sash around his waist. The Uchiha Clan's red and white fan was proudly displayed on his back and his hair had been tied with a red ribbon. The clothes spectacularly accented his eyes, either when they were their standard black or the crimson of the Sharingan. His ethereal beauty was only made more outstanding and otherworldly in the candle light. But his words were colder than ice and presented a challenge. "It was _you_ who ordered the Clan to be relocated at the edges of the village, isolating them and _spying_ on them."

"How dare you make such accusations?!" Homura snapped at the Clan Killer, taking what he must have thought to be a threatening step forwards. But Itachi wasn't intimidated. This was a man who had faced biju face to face, who even someone like Orochimaru feared. He could kill everyone present with less than a blink if he so wished. "Why do you even think someone would believe someone like _you_!?"

"Perhaps because I, along with Kakashi-san and Tenzou-san, have been one of his spies." Sasuke's jaw dropped at this while Kakashi glared at his old teammate. Yamato just grew very still, face grim. "We have been ordered by the Sandaime and the Council of Advisors to spy on the Uchiha Clan from one of the watchtowers strategically placed right next to the Uchiha Compound. We spent an entire year observing them all, reporting everything we saw or heard back to these three people and Sandaime-sama-"

"You are leaking sensitive, S-ranked secrets!" The one-eyed advisor hissed at Itachi, a threatening tone to his voice. But his words only made Itachi's smirk return and this time, it was sharper than even the Kusanagi.

"Is that not what I warned you I would do that night, eight years ago?" The Council of Clan Heads watched in confusion as Danzo grew paler than the bandages on his face. "You broke your word, Danzo. Why should I keep my end of the bargain?"

"What are you talking about?" Tsunade questioned, looking between the old Advisor and the victoriously smirking Uchiha. Both men ignored her.

"You have no proof to back up any of your claims."

Itachi barked out a cold and condescending laugh, startling everyone in the room as chills ran down their spines. "Danzo, Danzo, Danzo. You old fool." He mocked, eyes gleaming in the light of the candles. "You honestly think I would allow myself to gamble with my brother's life with someone like _you_ without solid proof of all your transgressions over the years? I would not have been a very good ANBU captain if I allowed such a thing to happen."

"Answer my question." Tsunade demanded again, but Danzo cut in before Itachi could answer, if he had wanted to at all.

"I will kill him if you so much as say another word." The old man threatened. "Our deal will be off."

"Our deal has been off for a month already," the new Clan Head of the Uchiha replied, a snarl curling his lips downwards. "Ever since you sent one of your agents -Sai, was it? - to kill Sasuke by approaching Orochimaru as an alley." The other people all gasped in surprise and shock at such news. The reaction seemed to please Itachi, as his smirk returned. "Oh, you didn't know? Well, the agents I am talking about aren't your ordinary ANBU. They are from a different division, called ROOT." Tsunade whirled around to snarl at the old man but Itachi's following words left her almost numb. "He worked with Orochimaru on plenty of experiments regarding the Hashirama Cells, as they call them. Their association had continued for years, leading up to the point of that attempted assassination. Orochimaru was _not_ pleased with your plant to kill off his next vessel." The tomoe in his Sharingan gave a warning spin. "Neither was I, with the attempted assassination of my little brother."

"How _dare_ you-?!" Tsunade was suddenly being held back by Kakashi, Yamato, Sakura, Naruto, Asuma, Shikaku, Inoichi, Chozo, Sai, Tsumi and a few ANBU present, stopping her from attacking Danzo in the Council chamber, a transgression that was sure to ban her from ever entering Konoha again, Godaime Hokage or not.

"Do you have any proof for any of what you are saying?" Koharu dared ask, but the question was nowhere near as secure as she would have liked it to be. She was worried. That was already proof enough that the Advisors were involved in all the accusations that had been stated.

"But of course. The proof is standing right there, in the only person who can use Mokuton in the world, the only surviving experiment." Yamato stiffened as everyone turned to look at him but he didn't deny the facts. "And let us not forget Kakashi-san. He had glimpsed the darkness that lurks in this village."

Danzo glared at Itachi in the following silence as everyone turned to stare at him, trying to discern from his expression if he really was guilty. Then ... "Kill the boy."

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed as suddenly a kunai was taken out by the ANBU and the man made to slit Sasuke's throat, only for a hand to stop him. The ANBU looked up, eyes widening behind the mask as he was met with another Itachi. This Itachi didn't hesitate to knee him in the gut before kicking him into the Council meeting room. The Itachi standing by Sasuke ripped off the sealed blindfold before taking Sasuke a few steps back from the threshold to the chambers just as the other three ANBU turned to face the brothers. Danzo also looked from one Itachi to the other before a snarl made its way across his lips, recognizing a battle in the making. He moved to rip off the bandages from his arm but cried out when ten shuriken suddenly sank into his arm at ten seemingly random places.

"Itachi!" Kakashi called out, calling up the Chidori and preparing to rush at the Itachi inside the Council room, who had thrown the weapons at the Advisor.

"Do not attack, Kakashi-san, or else you will needlessly be made a missing nin." The Itachi standing by Sasuke warned.

"You just confirmed your banishment from this village yourself." The silver haired man said but he stopped, figuring the younger man was not worth it. The pale lips quirked.

"Did I?" The two Itachis both intoned before the one sitting in the Council chamber burst into a flock of crows that quickly came back to the _real_ Itachi at Sasuke's side. "Clones, especially Karasu Bunshin, don't count as the actual person, Kakashi-san."

"Genjutsu." The jonin realized, looking at the older Uchiha in dawning comprehension. "You knew this was going to happen."

"I have known Danzo long enough to know all the possible things he'd do, yes." Itachi replied, extending his arm to let a single crow land on his forearm. It cawed at the room in large, watching them carefully with one red and one black eye. "I have had a meeting like this planned for years. There was no way Danzo would pass up an opportunity like this, to banish the last two Uchiha from Konoha and cover up all of his crimes at the same time. It would gain him access to the rest of the Uchiha Compound, along with the corpses of our other relatives and their eyes. Especially since the five bodies he stole for their eyes obviously weren't enough." He pointed at the bandaged, un-bleeding arm despite the shuriken so deeply embedded in it. "Nor were the Hashirama Cells for Shisui's Kotoamatsukami."

"Are you insinuating that you haven't killed Shisui?" Sasuke asked incredulously and Itachi gave his little brother a small smile.

"He was the one Uchiha that I didn't kill. He really _did_ kill himself. The note was fake, yes, but was written by his hand. He died by drowning himself so that the Aburame's poison wouldn't tear him apart from the inside out. The reason I was suspected, the reason why I didn't come to that clan meeting, was because Shisui called me because he was dying and he wanted to give his one remaining eye to _me_. So Danzo couldn't steal that eye, too."

Gasps echoed around the room and Danzo finally lost his composure. "Kill them!" He ordered the two ANBU who were actually ROOT agents. "Kill them both!" The four ANBU lunged at the brothers, all of their weapons pointed to kill but Itachi's eyes shifted into the Mangekyo Sharingan before a wall of tangible, crimson chakra surrounded him and his brother in a ribcage like design. When the steel weapons struck the chakra, they broke like glass, shattering in an instance. "W-what?! That's not possible!" Danzo exclaimed, horrified as a skeletal like arm came from the ribcage and picked up the ANBU like rag dolls. "How can you have mastered the Susanoo!?"

"Only Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Izuna had ever been able to do this," Tsunade breathed in awe, never actually having seen those chakra made warriors up close.

"Obviously not," Yamato muttered, also staring at the spectral being. "Itachi had come prepared."

"You assaulted an active member of the Council of Advisors." One had to give Koharu credit if she was still talking, trying to frighten the prodigy. Itachi just arched a perfect black eyebrow.

"No, I just attacked the man who is not only a traitor and a threat to this village, but also the man that had not deemed it enough to order the Uchiha Massacre eight years ago but now wants my little brother, for whose life I bargained for and accepted to kill the rest of my family for, dead." The weasel tilted his head upwards proudly, displaying the pride of the Uchiha that he didn't usually channel in fear of becoming arrogant. "As the Head of the remainder of the Uchiha Clan, it is my duty to protect my brother, the current _Heir_ to the Clan."

"Y-you were _ordered_ to kill them?" The shell-shocked Sasuke barely breathed out the question to his older brother, the man he had hated and hunted for all these years since the massacre. And he was _innocent_? The kill was _ordered_ by _Konoha_? "But why?"

Itachi sighed tiredly but didn't answer right away, instead manifesting another arm and hand for the Susanoo. He used it to grab Danzo and brought him closer to himself and his brother. He reached out calmly and ripped off the bandages on both his right arm and over his right eye. Shisui's Sharingan stared back at him while the ten now destroyed Sharingan implanted into the arm Orochimaru had made for Danzo out of Hashirama's Cells. Itachi didn't hesitate and basically _ripped out_ the eye, ignoring Danzo's grunt of pain. He has to hand it to him. He is at least facing his punishment and pain like a man, a shinobi. A honor he had not allowed the Uchiha, for he had ordered them all killed at dusk and night. A coward's time for assassinations. Itachi hated that order more than any other he had ever fulfilled, but he would still do it all over again if it meant the war had been averted. That Sasuke had been speared.

"Forgive me, Shisui." He whispered as he clenched gently his best friend's eye. "I have failed you and the Uchiha, but Konoha is safe. And perhaps there is still time to honor our name. Your sacrifice will not be in vain." The handsome man turned to the equally handsome teenager beside him, who was watching him with hopeful and desperate eyes. "The Clan was planning a coup. Shisui and I tried to stop it, working with the Hokage towards a peaceful end. But Danzo had stolen Shisui's right eye after our plan to use the Kotoamatsukami to convince the Uchiha to once again be loyal to Konoha like before and his death ended in even more friction between the Uchiha and the village. When the plans for the coup were determined solid, Sarutobi-sama told me to buy him more time but Danzo ordered me to kill them instead, gave me an ultimatum and threatened your life if I didn't do it. In the end, I did as I was ordered and killed them."

"But why did you torture me?" The confused teen asked, not understanding, the situation s bit too much for him. He had come to save the Compound. He had not expected his whole world to be turned upside down like this. He had most definitely not expected to find out that his brother was actually _innocent_ despite him still being the murderer that he was. He had killed on an order and to protect _him_ , and Sasuke had repaid him how? By trying repeatedly to kill him.

"I wanted you to hate me so you would not hesitate to kill me when you got strong enough." Itachi said seriously, meeting his brother's eyes square on. "I needed to give you a purpose to live and what better way in such a situation than to make you an avenger?" He averted his eyes then, not being able to meet his brother's hurt and horrified gaze when he realized that Itachi was going to let him kill him one day. "You would avenge the Uchiha, returning honor to our name and continuing the linage as a hero and a martyr. I would die the villain and everyone would remain safe. You would get your revenge and then your life back, maybe even become happy again. War would be averted. It would have been worth it," the elder sibling explained with a sad smile. He had accepted his fate. But it was changed now. "Had Danzo not sent assassins after you, everything would have went according to that plan. But he had and that broke our deal."

"And what have you bargained in return for him leaving Sasuke alone?" This time, Tsunade's question didn't go unanswered.

"All of Konoha's secrets, the most sensitive of information. A threat he could not ignore. A threat I would gladly act upon if the assassination had been successful." The older Uchiha replied seriously and everyone swallowed, realizing in what kind of danger Danzo had put them in with his little stunt. An ANBU captain sometimes knew more than even the _Hokage_ about their village. They _were_ the ones constantly patrolling it and they were the ones who received the most information regarding missions and the status of the village.

Suddenly, Itachi frowned, looking up at the clock overhead the doorway. "Can we get this meeting going? If I don't return in two hours, my partner's going to barge into the village to come and get me. And if he comes, Konoha will have quite a bit of trouble. He's overprotective that way."

"Are you actually trying to tell us what to do?" Hyuuga Hiashi asked incredulously, getting a blank stare from the Uchiha Clan Head.

"We _can_ continue this little chatting session and wait for Kisame to come looking for me and let him flood Konoha. He tends to do that when he's anxious."

Tsunade sweat dropped, wondering when her day had gone to hell and deciding it had happened a week ago, when Danzo had gleefully informed her about the Council of Clan's Heads meeting. But she nodded along, walking into the room. The older Uchiha followed suit, while the other Clan Heads hesitated to go in after them. But when they received a glare from the Hokage and an arched eyebrow from Itachi, they hurried in after them. Kakashi stayed back when Sasuke tugged on his kimono, watching as Itachi walked off into the room, still carrying Danzo with his Susanoo, as regal as Sasuke had ever remembered him to be.

"How had Itachi known about the meeting when no one told him?"

Kakashi thought about it before shrugging. "Itachi was the Clan Heir. I am going to guess that he had had training about these things, since he was to become the leader of your Clan. He _was_ the Heir for thirteen years. He probably knows more about these meetings than any of us older members do."

"Do you think he's really going to leave after the meeting is over?" Sasuke asked again after a short stretch of silence, unsure what to think. He wanted to talk to his brother. He had _so many questions_ and Itachi was the only one who could answer them. Why were there plans for a coup? Why was the Clan moved? Why hadn't that jutsu starting with a K work? Why would Itachi think that his death would set things straight? How did he end up with the Akatsuki? Those were just _some_ of the questions Sasuke wanted to ask. There were so much more. Yet here he was, the only one who could answer them and Itachi was just going to leave him guessing in two hours.

"I don't know." Kakashi honestly replied, his brow furrowed. "Twice, I've made the mistake in thinking that I knew what Itachi is capable of. The third time I'm actually going to be more observant. But I don't think he'll stay, not yet. He'll come back, one day. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week, next month or maybe even next year. But he'll do it on his own terms and how he sees it fit. And when he comes back, I am sure he will never leave again."

"I sure do hope it's tomorrow." The sullen teenager grumbled but let go of his once sensei and instead walked over to where Sakura, Naruto, Sai and Yamato were standing. Kakashi shot him a grin.

"You and me both, as well as the rest of Konoha. He was one of our best, after all." He chuckled to himself before walking into the Council chamber with a lazy wave over his shoulder.

00000

"Kisame, stop pacing. You're wearing down the carpet." Said blue man with shark like features froze mid stride and his head snapped up, towards the window where ge was relieved to see his young partner, alive and well, casually crouching on the window sill and watching him pace like a caged tiger with fond exasperation.

"Itachi-san! Thank goodness you're back! I was getting real worried for a second there." Kisame said happily as he approached his partner. Itachi just 'hn'-ed and fully entered the room, elegantly gliding across the floor almost as though he were walking on air to meet the shark halfway there. He easily let himself be gathered in the bigger man's arms, loving the way he was almost completely shielded from the outside world like this. "So, how did it go?"

"It went well, all things considered." The Uchiha replied, resting his head against Kisame's powerful chest, enjoying the heartbeat right underneath his ear. "My family grounds are safe, my brother seems to be on the way to get his pardon, Danzo is locked up for life and his operatives are being hunted down as we speak."

"Does that mean your name is cleared?" Kisame asked, tightening his grip on his partner, as though afraid that the positive answer to that question will wretch Itachi right out of his hold.

"Not yet, but it will be. I was invited to come back to Konoha. They would reinstate me as an ANU captain again and I would be cleared of all suspicions set against me." Itachi lifted his head to meet Kisame's gaze. "I refused."

"What!? Why?"

"Because I've found a group of people I belong with." The genius replied as thought it were the most obvious thing in the world. Kisame just stared at him as though he'd lost it.

"Itachi-"

"So Tsunade-sama has offered me to do as I wish on the grounds of my Clan's Compound as long as you guys don't destroy Konoha." Itachi smirked when Kisame's jaw dropped open, absolutely loving the reaction. "As such, we must go to Leader-sama and inform him that Akatsuki is getting a new base of operations and that world domination to get peace is not necessary. He can work it out with Konoha and then one village at a time, diplomatically."

"So operation Comeback Heir is a success?" Kisame asked cheekily of his partner, swooping down to deposit a kiss on his forehead, only for Itachi to glare at his lover and extract himself from Kisame's arms. "What?"

"..." Itachi didn't reply, instead picking up his bag and walking out of the room, leaving his lover to scramble after him.

"Okay, Itachi-san. I'm sorry I didn't keep to my word to stop giving silly names to everything we do, but come on! Comeback Heir really suits you!"

"..."

"Itachi-san?"

"..."

"Itachi-san!"

And so they continued all the way to the Akatsuki hideout, Itachi letting Kisame stew for his silly comments and Kisame desperately trying to get his partner to forgive him. And if Itachi had a contended smile pulling on his lips, no one can call him out on it as the high collar of his coat kept it out of view. He could already imagine the crazy life he was going to live in just a matter of days, with Sasuke and his insane Akatsuki friends living in such close proximity, along with almost constant visits from Sasuke's former teammates and Itachi's former ANBU platoon colleges. And all because he'd just picked up his duties as former Heir and now Head of his Clan.

So, yes. He guessed operation Comeback Heir _is_ a success.

OWARI


End file.
